Editor,
We've established it. Aramark's contract is up for renewal, and students are working to create new, healthier food options on campus.
What appalls students so much is that it's the only food we have here and - my gosh - we eat the same food prisoners do. Let's change it.
You choose what you eat. La Posada offers a huge salad bar - you're the one choosing to pile it with cheese, croutons and dressing.
The sandwich station at La Posada is also a good option. Vegetables are always available, and there are fruit stands throughout the dining hall.
Looking for a snack between classes? Buy a bag of jerky or some fruit - both are sold at Mercado.
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A student cannot complain about gaining the "freshman 15" or the "junior 20" because of the food options on campus. You choose what you put into your body, and you choose how to live your life. No one is forcing that "grease-dripping meat collage from Sonic" down your throat. Plus, Johnson Center is free for all students.
Honestly, this ruckus reminds me of the 2005 Cheeseburger Bill. You can't blame other people for making you gain weight. No one is making you stand in line at Chick-Fil-A to get a piece of fried chicken smothered in mayonnaise on a white bread bun.
Dorm students make the claim, "We have to buy meal plans, and the food is so bad." No, it's not. I'm a dorm student, and it's not bad.
Yes, it's mass-produced food but not bad in any sense. You, as a responsible adult, should be aware of what you're eating. Eating doughnuts for breakfast, cheeseburgers for lunch and fried chicken for dinner is what is causing the weight gain and unhealthiness. Not Aramark.
I'm all for removing a corporation that treats employees unfairly, but I'd like to see the employees come forward, not students who have never worked for Aramark. That should be the primary reason to remove Aramark, not because they produce food students deem unhealthy, yet still seem to eat.
I'll say it again: We choose what to put into our bodies. My mom told me when I was young, "If you don't like it, don't eat it." It doesn't cause any problems, and actions do speak louder than words.
Amanda Skotchdopole
UNM student
